it was a way to pay for parts of the healthcare law. they will see the top rates a bump of 3.8% come january 1. that seems unlikely to be changed as part of the fiscal cliff negotiations. you'll still see that surtax on top of that. host: this from twitter. guest: i leave that as it is. host: is that how much it could go up? guest: yes. host: currently it is 35%. go ahead, mark. caller: the previous caller mentioned capital gains -- the recent point about the medicare surcharge to pay for the affordable care act. ifthoughit cld be a solution to kill botof those birds with one stone. gut: i'm noa health-care expert. host: no probl. we have this from twitter. guest: i believe that is the case. tom in california, go ahead. caller: i have several issues with the estate tax. i am a farmer if it comes back to the normal 1 million exemptions. we work together to build this estate it wasn't just my parents but it is in my parents' name. i have to pay tax to something i have contributed to. host: help people understand fas estate tax? how is it